These Leaked WWE House Show Rules Are Wonderful

There have been lots of leaked scripts and other interesting behind-the-scenes production notes coming out of WWE and other promotions before. Heck, that’s where we got “PYRO AND BALLYHOO,” one of the best inside jokes there is for internet wrestling fans. Now we’ve got a new behind-the-scenes scoop, and while it’s no “pyro and ballyhoo,” it’s both illuminating, a little silly, and strangely … completely and utterly charming.

The following document was left behind following this past weekend’s Raw Live Events in Lowell, Mass. and White Plains, NY. The name “JAMIE” was written on the sheet, indicating it might have belonged to Live Event producer Jamie Noble, as noted on the document’s personnel list.

The full top sheet reads as follows:

Producer(s): Jamie Noble, D-Von
Referee(s): Rod Zapata, Shawn Bennett
Ring Announcer: Byron Saxton
LE Producer: Matt Hanrahan
Production Manager: Law Bosse
Marketing Rep: John Varesio (Sat) John Porto (Sun)

VKM Notes for Live Events

*** Per our conversation with Vince, please no pile drivers. Also, if there is anything you think is questionable, please contact Michael Hayes for more information. Thank you ***

• Referees should not play a factor in our finishes. It is important to keep their credibility. Do not compromise the referees or put them in compromising situations.

• Please make sure all talent do not go up on the ropes during their entrances.

• Please do not let talent stall too much, especially during the 1st match.

• NEW: No impromptu talent promos. Promos must be approved ahead of time by Michael Hayes, or, by the LE Agent/Producer and talent must run the promo content by an agent/producer and agent/producer must approve.

• NO ONE IS TO DO THE YEA-BOO STUFF, EXCEPT JOHN CENA.

• PRODUCER/AGENT NOTE: NO LOW BLOWS. ALSO ANY USE OF CHAIRS, TABLES OR OTHER OBJECTS MUST BE APPROVED FIRST.

• ALSO – AGENTS NEED TO APPROVE HEELS TAKING A WALK DURING THEIR MATCHES AND LIMIT TO THE TOP MATCHES ONLY

Producer Notes

Refs and Producers – If talent takes a bad bump or seems to have hurt themselves please:

• Stop the match and check on talent.

• If the ref is unsure if talent is OK, wave ringside doctor in to check on talent, all the while moving opponent to a neutral corner.

• If the doctor deems the talent unable to continue – stop the match and have injured talent helped to the back for medical attention and award the match to the opponent.

• If the talent wants to continue and the ref and doctor agree they can continue without doing further damage, then the talent should be able to get to their feet on their own and the ref can restart the match.

• Any time a competitor is really hurt the ref should go to their opponent and stand in front of them with his arms crossed. This is the sign the match has been stopped. Please pass on to talent and referees.

If talent takes a bad bump or seems to have hurt themselves, DO NOT:

• Give into talent who want to “suck it up” and continue the match. The talent’s wellbeing always comes first. Never let an opponent attack their injured opponent to get heat.

NOTE: If talent is opened up and you must stop the match, later in the show if the cut is closed and the bleeding has stopped it is ok to send the heel back out to cut a promo bragging about their victory and send the babyface to the ring ‘spirit of 76’ to then make a comeback and hit finish on the heel.

NOTE: If we do a ref bump during the match, have the ref bump to the floor and have a 2nd referee come down and finish the match. Please DO NOT have the ref that was bumped remain in the ring peeking to see when he should get up and finish the match.

While a lot of these quibbles and rules may seem silly or arbitrary on first read, I personally love every last one of them. From “VKM’s” gentle reminders about no piledrivers (which have been banned apart from Kane and Undertaker’s Tombstones since the Attitude Era, more or less), to making sure not every wrestler is climbing the ropes during their entrances, everything seems focused on putting on the best possible house show for the fans and the talent.

My favorite parts are probably ensuring no one but Cena gets to do the “Yay/Boo” punch exchange (or “Yea/Boo” if you prefer), and the extremely sensible and probably way overdue rule about having a bumped ref be replaced entirely, rather than lying in a heap and doing the patented Earl Hebner peek when it’s time to go home.

But easily the best part is the focus on wrestler safety, with special attention paid to making sure wrestlers don’t try to “suck it up” and finish a match when they’re hurt. Yes, wrestler safety was an issue for a long time, but in recent years it’s pretty clear that WWE is (for the most part) pretty dead set on making sure people don’t work hurt when they can avoid it.

All in all, this is a nice little peek behind the curtain on how the ship continues to sail smoothly and stick to guidelines, even at house shows.